Hot air balloon makes emergency landing among houses in second-largest Hungarian city
Residents of a suburban neighbourhood in Debrecen witnessed an unusual and alarming sight on Sunday evening, when a hot air balloon was forced to make an emergency landing among residential buildings.
Six passengers and a pilot travelled in the balloon
The balloon, carrying six passengers and a pilot, had taken off earlier that evening for a one-hour sightseeing flight from a field near a motorway. While weather conditions initially seemed favourable, shifting winds pushed the craft towards the city, making it impossible for the pilot to navigate back to open ground, RTL reported.
Emergency landing needed
According to eyewitnesses, the balloon descended rapidly over the densely populated area, sparking fears it might crash onto houses. Several attempts at landing failed before the pilot managed to touch down in a narrow suburban street. The impact of the basket hitting the ground echoed through the neighbourhood, though the pilot later described the manoeuvre as a “calm and safe landing”.
Noone was injured
Remarkably, none of the passengers were injured. In fact, according to the pilot, they considered the incident an adventurous highlight of their ride. Local residents, however, were less enthusiastic: during the descent, the balloon made contact with an overhead power line, causing a blackout that left nearby households without electricity for about three hours.
The video of the emergency landing can be viewed on RTL’s page.
Police have since launched an investigation into the case on the grounds of “endangering air traffic”.
Read more news about Debrecen on Daily News Hungary!
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